Tom walkers

Tom walkers
 n.pl.— «What are “Tom walkers,” you say? Why, bless yoru heart, don’t go talking about “stilts” out there in Oakland City. They are “Tom walkers” to everybody and every kid.» —“‘Tom Walker’ Fad Hits Oakland City; Kids Stepping High” by Paul Stevenson Atlanta Constitution (Ga.) Aug. 6, 1921. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

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Further reading

Blessing Box (episode #1613)

Is there such a thing as a “neutral” accent, and if so what does it sound like? And that quirk in the way southern Californians talk about freeways. They’ll say things like take the 405 and get on the 8. Why the definite article...